Article lifter



Jan'.29,1946.

R. WROBBEL ET AL ARTICLE LI Filed July so, 1942 FTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVENTORS TTORNEY Jan. 29,1946. vR. WRQBBEL ET Al. 2,393,946

ARTICLE LI'FTER Filed-July 30, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 feudal/27932382 f BY/@mld h/dZZer T2( MATTORNEY i Patented Jan. 29, 1946 UNITTEv vismrrs 'PATENT or rice N. Y.) assignors `toAmercan Car and Foundry Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Applicatisn .rely so, wraserial-Nm 452,934 3 claims. totze'iefn Thisl invention relates to article lifters in general and in particular toa lifter' for manufactured articles 'such as shells.v

rDuring the manufacture of shells and other symmetrica1 items various -lifting arrangements are used but in most -ca'ses -the'se are based on attachments to the shell,l vsuch as in the case or base. When 'the -shelll is nearly completed vand prior to final inspectionandpainting it is necessary-t'o thoroughly-'clean the shells by a degreasingc l'peratio'n.4 -Forlthis operation to be effective both the interior and exterior of the shell must be exposed as fully as possible to the fumes of the degreasing substance in order to speed production. It is also necessary that the plurality of shells be handled at one time Vand held in a definite predetermined position. It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide a shell or article lifter by which a plurality of shells-or articles may be lifted and hel in a predetermined spaced relation.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a shell or article lifter in which special pockets are provided contacting an extremely small area of the article to the end that the bulk of the articles surface may be exposed.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a shell lifter of jointed construction which may be slid over the nose of the shells and lift the same in cantilever fashion from a horizontal to a Vertical position during the lifting operation.

These and other objects-of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevational view of the improved lifter with parts broken away to better disclose the construction;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the lifter when in shell receiving or shell discharging position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 4 is an elevational view showing the lifter in shell lifting position.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be 'seen that the lifter consists of two main parts, namely, a top frame A and a bottom framework B hinged thereto. The top frame A is of truss formation having a top rod or tension member 2 and a bottom rod or compression member 4 joined together by struts 6 and diagonals 8.l The top bar or rod has attached thereto a lifting eye I adapted to receive the hoist line by means of which the entire lifter may be raised.

Aipiuraiity of' hinge straps l2 'are 'fastened to' the `trus'simember and`v depend therefrorm as clearly 'shown in Fig; 1'. The lower endsof 'these hinge straps are formed 'with openings orv bearing por'- tions VKadapted to receiveA the l'hinge' pins by'ine'ans of which the bottom frameworkrB is lconnected to the top frame;

The Vbottom framework is formed by endv straps I4 Land intermediate rods I6'. The 'intermediate rods JIS have `hingepins I8 `attached thereto 'adj-acent'their upper ends and are Vjoined together adjacent their lower end by connecting straps or bars 20. The bars I6 are additionally tied together by means of circular bands or rings 22 and by 'conical shaped cups or pockets 24 located adjacent the lower ends of the bars. These pockets or cup like structures are formed of sheet metal substantially conforming to the contour of the shell nose and have their upper edges reinforced by means of a narrow metal strip 28. In order that the shell nose may be fully exposed to the degreasing fumes a plurality of narrow strips 28 are welded on the interior of the conical shaped cup or pocket, thus these strips will hold the shell nose out of contact with the pocket walls and permit a full flow of the degreasing fumes over the shell nose. Short stays 30 connect the ring 22 and conical shaped pocket 24 in order to reinforce and prevent distortion of the ring or pocket. The straps I4 are, of course, fastened like the bars I6 to the ring 22 and conical shaped pocket 24.

It will be seen from the above that the bottom framework is pivoted to the top frame and may swing freely relative thereto. When it is desired to pick up a group of shells or similar articles the lifter is lowered toward the work table W, shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and the workman grasps the lower framework and pulls it toward the nose of the shell. Continued lowering of the hoist and lifter will cause the lifter to pivot placing the upper and lower vframeworks in the position shown by line and dash in Fig. 4. The workman then pushes the conical shaped pockets onto the nose of the shell and into the position shown'by full lines in Fig. 4. In this position it will be noted that the pivot axis between the top and bottom frames is located adjacent the end or base 4D of the shell S, while the nose 42 is located wholly within the conical shaped pocket with the very tip of the nose, which is hollow, projecting slightly through the opening in the lower end of the conical shaped pocket. It will be seen that when the lifter isk in the full line position of Fig. 4 the pivotal connection between the top and botf lies on the opposite side. f' When the hoist is operated to raise the lifter the shells will accordingly Y be tilted by the pockets acting in cantilever fash' ion and finally picked up to assume the position Vshown in Fig. 1, after which they may be transported to the degreasing tank and from the tank to the receiving vwork table for vcleposit'in Vexact Y order and in predetermined spaced relationship.

When suspended, as shown in Fig. 1, the entire shells outer surface is exposed to the degreasing 1- y to said top frame and including spaced apart conical shaped pockets adapted to receive the nose fumes with the exception of the extremely small A areas contacted by strips 28; The interior surface of the shell is, of course, fully exposed t the degreasing fumes since there is nothing pro# jecting into the shell..

While the invention has been described more "1'. Y

trussed top frame adapted'tc be connected to a orY less in detail, it willvbe obvious to persons skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements'V of parts other than those shown and Adescribed kWill suggest themselves and all such modifications and rearrangements offparts are contemplatedas will fall Within the scope :of the appended claims dening our invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a Shen lifter the combination of @trusses Y top frame adaptedto be `connected to .a hoist, straps vdepending from said trussed top frame, a bottom framework pivotally connected to said Y straps, upwardly open conical'shaped pockets se- )the shell noses .in limited areas."

cured to said bottom framework and forming a p art thereof, said pockets being adapted to receive the nose portion of the shells and the pivotal connection of the straps and bottom framework being located adjacent the base of the shells when in position to be lifted, and spaced guides located in said pocketsand adaptedto contact 2. In a shell lifter the combinatidn'of a top frame, and a bottom frame pivotally connected portions of the shells to be lifted,andspaced ribs on the interiorr of said pockets and contacting Vsmall areas of the shell noses whereby the bulk of the shell surface Yis free of Contact with the lifter. Y Y

3. In a shell lifter,V the combination of a hoist, straps depending from said trussed top Y frame, a. bottom'frame pivotally connected'to Vsaid stratus,V an upwardlyopen conical-shaped pocket secured to said bottom frame andforming 

